043 False Impressions by Carolyn Keene

Author:Carolyn Keene [Keene, Carolyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Eleven

YOU’VE INTERFERED for the last time, Nancy Drew!”

Nancy quelled her rising panic at her assailant’s words. Fiery red spots danced before her eyes. Her lungs began to burn. She gasped frantically, trying to draw a breath of air.

The attacker pulled the material even tighter. Nancy lashed out with her right elbow and sunk it deep into the stomach of her attacker. With a loud ooph! he loosened his hold. Then Nancy grabbed the fabric with her left hand and yanked it away from her throat.

The material gave way surprisingly easily under pressure. Nancy’s lungs drank in a huge gulp of air.

Before her attacker could react, Nancy continued with the offensive. She slammed her boot heel into his instep. She whipped her head back, hitting him flush in the face. Her attacker yelled in rage and surprise.

Backing into him, Nancy grabbed his right arm and threw him over her shoulder in a judo toss.

Nancy’s attacker hit the floor hard. She rushed him, but the man recovered quickly, lashing out with his foot. His kick caught Nancy in the midriff, doubling her over, knocking the wind out of her. Gasping for breath, she dropped to her knees.

Nancy watched as her attacker fled down the darkened corridor. The high collar of his pea-coat and a black cotton stocking pulled down over his head concealed his face. There was no way to get a look at him.

Grimacing with the effort, Nancy rose on shaky legs and set off in pursuit. Every running step made Nancy’s stomach throb. But she managed to keep up.

The hallway led into the club’s main ballroom. French doors opened out onto a broad garden patio. Skidding to a halt, the intruder grabbed a door latch and tugged frantically. It wouldn’t budge.

Nancy’s spirits soared. Now I’ve got him! she thought. Then, before she could stop him, the man grabbed a small bronze bust from its pedestal and shattered the glass with it. Deafening alarm bells sounded. He ducked through the makeshift doorway, vaulted the patio wall, and disappeared into the night.

Nancy watched as the intruder flew away. He was going much too fast for her now. “Ned! Where are you?” she called out, trying to make herself heard over the din of the alarms.

“Nancy!” Ned rushed into the ballroom. “What happened?”

“I’ll explain later,” Nancy said breathlessly. “We’ve got to get out of here. The police will be here any minute! Follow those fresh footprints.”

Ned trailed her through the shattered French doors. Holding hands, they dashed down the patio steps and across the golf course, their boots kicking up showers of fresh snow as they watched the trail Nancy’s attacker had left.

Nancy soon knew they had lost their man. Snow had fallen off the trees and covered their quarry’s path. Through the curtain of falling snow, Nancy could see a police cruiser racing up the long drive, its red light flashing.

Nancy pulled Ned into the woods and out of sight.

“What happened to you?” she asked breathlessly.

“I heard footsteps while you were in the office,” Ned explained.

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